Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2007
Case ReportsOral and nasal enteral tube placement errors and complications in a pediatric intensive care unit.
To report five cases of errors in the placement of oral/nasal enteral tubes in a pediatric intensive care unit, and to review literature on placement techniques and complication rates. ⋯ Patients in the pediatric intensive care unit may have characteristics that place them at an increased risk for misplacement of oral or nasal enteral tubes into the respiratory tract. Placement of enteral tubes into the respiratory tract may cause serious morbidity and possibly mortality. Checking the placement of enteral tubes with traditional methods does not prevent misplacement in the respiratory tree, and new techniques should be considered.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2007
Case ReportsManagement of abdominal compartment syndrome during extracorporeal life support.
To describe the successful use of a peritoneal dialysis catheter for emergent decompression of abdominal compartment syndrome during extracorporeal life support for septic shock. ⋯ Although the standard therapy for abdominal compartment syndrome is decompressive laparotomy, a minimally invasive percutaneous approach may be effective and should be considered in selected patients.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2007
Case ReportsHyperkalemia and cardiac arrest following succinylcholine administration in a 16-year-old boy with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia and sepsis.
To report a case of potentially lethal hyperkalemia related to succinylcholine administration. ⋯ Succinylcholine may cause dangerous arrhythmias in septic and immobilized children. The alternative nondepolarizing agents should be used in such cases.
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The climate within the United States is rapidly changing with respect to patient and family knowledge of medical error and their expectations of the events that should occur after an error. ⋯ It seems that if disclosure of medical error is made with compassion, in a timely manner, and with good communication skills both during and after the disclosure process, patients and their families are at least no more likely to seek legal action and some lawsuits may actually be avoided.